A Touch Of Warmth
by harmonized
Summary: In which Hilary has finally realized that maybe she needs Tyson more than she could have imagined.


**DISCLAIMER**

 _All characters belong to Takao Aoki with the exception of my OC._

* * *

 **IT'S A RAINY DAY** in Bakuten and Hilary has decided to spend the weekend at the company of the Bladebreakers _._

Now what the majority would expect would be voices filling every corner of the household with so many people, especially Tyson's, who loves to be the center of attention most of the time due to the fact he's caring the 3 year in a row World Champion. Of course after surpassing everyone's expectations by defeating the Bega League and bringing harmony to the sport he loves isn't a goal anyone can accomplish. Yet the thought of acknowledging his superiority has him with his head in the clouds too often, and Hilary is usually there to ground him in reality so their group can relish some peace without any distractions.

So it's amusing to see that an eerie silence hanging in the air, one that doesn't carry tension. Hilary's glad this isn't the case. The last thing she wants is to be in a room with the atmosphere charged. She's had plenty of that during the Bega challenge. Not only was it frustrating to see her friends striving to give their all under pressure, the fact that she couldn't provide the tiniest bit of help as far as beyblading is concerned rendered her restless throughout that month. Although Ray, Max and Lyla comforted her by saying she's the coach and that her help is truly valuable, there are days Hilary is feeling left out. She knows it's not true and that she shouldn't doubt her place in the team, but that small dark part of her mind reminds her of this occasionally.

Hilary dreads that part, that inner voice of a self who's not her. It makes her question everything about her personality, her appearance, her relationship with her family and other people. It fills her with uncertainty for her actions and if she's capable enough of doing something. It tears apart her walls of confidence, leaving her hollow with thoughts swirling in her brain. Hilary wishes for it to go away and let her enjoy life freely.

It's not like she hasn't been doing that so far, but whenever she's having actual fun, the voice appears. Her mood falls drops significantly without anyone ever knowing because of her happy facade she pulls through. None of them know about this kind of insecurities she has locked deep within, with the exception of Lyla and Mariah who can see through her. And maybe Kai, she adds, but he respects her enough to keep his lips tight and not voice anything aloud, attracting unwanted and unnecessary attention.

So what if she has insecurities? Big deal, anyone on this planet has them. She's not the first one to encounter problems and inner battles with herself, and she definitely won't be the last. In fact, everyone feels self-conscious sometimes, including her beloved friends. For instance, Tyson is afraid of being in the dark for too long without anyone caring genuinely about him. Though the thought could be considered ridiculous since Tyson has gone far, it's proven when he's not in the spotlight when he's surrounded by others.

Before Hilary can ponder on this theory and let her mind wonder if there are chances to capture Tyson's attention as something more than friends, the door of his bedroom opens and Hilary's reverie dissipates. She turns her head around, only to face a disgruntled Tyson.

Hilary chuckles inwardly at his expression. It's a shame she can't photograph this priceless bafflement in his eyes. For a moment she forgot the fact that apart from Ryu they are alone in the dojo since Ray and Max are helping Mr Tate at the shop this afternoon. Daichi has gone to his city to visit some relatives and Kenny is grounded by his parents because his mom caught him with the laptop positioned comfortably on his lap at 1 A.M, when the following day he had to attend school. Kai and Lyla wanted to treasure some time for themselves since being around their friends 24/7 limited the possibilities of a proper date. And even though Lyla doesn't complain about the lack of those, after all just being with him is more than enough, Kai felt it's something which should be done every once in a while.

A remnant Hilary hasn't realized it's nestled there pops up suddenly, and Hilary's cheeks flush with embarrassment.

 _They are alone. In an almost empty house._

Hilary scolds her mind for giving her ideas which shouldn't exist in the first place. It's not like her brain is filled with impure fantasies of her and Tyson in compromising positions. No. That's Julia's speciality. And Tala's, she grins slyly.

She can only pray for the heat on her cheeks to cool before Tyson notices, otherwise she'll never be able to live it down since Tyson would make false assumptions.

"That's it! I'm done for today." Tyson declares as he places his palm on the door frame, staring at Hilary through narrowed eyes, as if daring her to object at his announcement.

Three seconds pass before Hilary realization dawns upon her. Tyson is failing in his science course and had asked for Hilary's help.

When Hilary heard this, her ears perked up with sheer surprise and she had to strain them to confirm she didn't misheard him. Tyson would come to her for any kind of aid, except for school subjects. A part of him still feels competitive when it comes to both of them and grades, despite the fact Tyson can't reach Hilary's level, not because he isn't smart enough, but because he's too lazy to put some effort. So he had come to the most ideal person, and Hilary agreed, offering her notes to him by one term. That Tyson would spend the entire afternoon of studying properly, without distractions.

Hilary shifts her gaze to the clock and nods satisfactorily. "It's half past eight. I'm surprised you could last that long." She tells him truthfully, approval lacing her voice.

"You're not the only genius who can survive after three and half hours straight of studying Hilary." Tyson rolls his eyes before joining her to the couch, his body slumping to the other end. Tyson throws his head back, leaving it to hang in mid-air briefly, his eyes concentrated on the ceiling as he tries to alleviate the pain in his brain. It's as if his brain cells are carrying too much information, to the point an explosion can't be excluded. However, he feels proud for not letting himself down and remaining true to his words. And Hilary's had been more than helpful. They were written with such detail, delicacy and caution -it fascinated him. Moreover, her handwriting is really good and he faced no trouble in understanding the words in front of him. Her notes had made his job easier than he expected.

Hilary presses her lips together in a thin line to prevent the laughter from escaping her lips. It'll do no good to her if her actions were added to Tyson's exhaustion. Tyson studied hard enough to keep his promise and Hilary isn't going to ruin the rest of his day by teasing him in the wrong way.

Her eyes search for the tv remote and spot it lying on the table but a firm, warm hand closes around her wrist, pausing the movement of leaning forward to take a hold of it.

Bewildered, Hilary casts a questioning stare at Tyson, the latter shaking his head with eyes closed.

"Not other noises. Please."

His tired tone throws her off guard along with the second phrase, and she's left gazing at him, thoroughly amused by the way his eyes flattered shut the second he leaned back to rest his head. The day she could see Tyson denying television has seemed a dream, a butterfly impossible to catch, except for today.

 _Boy he must be really exhausted._

Tyson removes his hand, allowing her wrist to breathe and Hilary misses his touch for the first time. It felt nice to have someone providing her comforting heat, even in the smallest of ways. It makes her feel more connected to him in a strange way since a touch isn't much. Yet it means everything to her.

Hilary follows his actions and lets her eyelids to fall shut, relishing the tranquility around them. Thankfully Ryu is in the training room, meditating, meaning no one is going to interrupt rudely this silence.

Droplets of rain clash against the windows along with the rustling of the leaves, lulling Hilary to sleep.

She hopes it can be a blissful one and it is, till the moment images she dreads appear in front of her. Images with her friends shooting harsh accusations on her face for things she wasn't even involved into while smirking, telling her she'll never be good enough. She feels terrified, but most importantly lost. What is going to do now? Give up and collapse on her feet? Or continue fighting their voices filled with hatred?

Is there any point in fighting these demons? Will they ever go away? Or are they going to reside in her head forever?

Tyson is awoken when he hears sounds close to him. He watches Hilary's sleeping form tossing around and he's relieved when he sees that only her hands are taking part in this and not her legs, meaning he can keep his gut in place and not fall off the couch and flat on his ass.

He stays silent for a few moments, wishing she can calm down while wondering what could upset Hilary this much. This is so unlike her. Apart from her bossy and prideful attitude which has faded throughout the two years of being around him, it's unusual to see Hilary vulnerable and fragile, with her defences crumbled, leaving her bare in front of him.

Soft whimpers escape her mouth and Tyson bites on his lip as he grows distressed. There must be something he can do to help her, comfort her and soothe her pain.

An idea flashes his mind but he's too close to rejecting it. What if Hilary wakes up and shoves him out of her away, before exploding her tantrum at him for violating her private space? All of these thoughts frustrate him and for once, he wishes Hilary not to be complicated. If she was like the rest of the girls out of their team, preoccupied with her appearance and brainless, he wouldn't be afraid to make a move on her. However, he knows he doesn't want that. He wants someone different, someone who can be a challenge. Someone who doesn't run with the crowd.

Although Lyla can't be his, Tyson's glad his long lasting feelings for her are fading away slowly, but surely.

With this in mind he shifts closer, slipping his arm around her shoulder, diminishing the gap between them. Her body is unexpectedly cold and his eyes survey the room, searching for a blanket nearby. Luckily, there's one on the armchair a few feet away from him and he tries to stand up when delicate fingers wrap around his arm, pulling him back down with her.

"Don't leave me! You're too warm." Hilary mumbles softly, nuzzling closer to him.

Tyson's heart races wildly at the turn of the events before his expression softens as he rubs his palm up and down her arm, assuring her he doesn't intend on leaving her.

Tyson places a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Go to sleep, Hilary."

Hilary's lips curl into a smile unconsciously. Maybe one day she'll let him know. Know how deep in her heart he's carved.


End file.
